1. Field
The disclosed subject matter relates to a catheter for a coronary artery for treating and imaging the heart or a peripheral tissue of the heart and an engaging method for the catheter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, catheters for imaging a coronary artery include catheters of the Judkins type, the Amplatz type and so forth. Usually, these types of catheters are introduced from a femoral artery by the Seldinger method or a sheathing method to selectively image a coronary artery.
Also, many different treatments for a peripheral region of the heart using a catheter are available at present. For example, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) of ischemic heart disease treatment using a catheter with a balloon is available. With regard to this treatment, in order to insert a treatment catheter into a target blood vessel safely and efficiently, the performance of the treatment catheter is important, and a guiding catheter which softens a reaction caused by the insertion and provides sufficient backup force to assist smooth introduction is often required. Shapes of such a guiding catheter can be similar to those of the Judkins type, the Amplatz type and so forth, which are similarly available as in the case of the imaging catheter for a coronary artery described above. Usually, a catheter having any of the above noted shapes is introduced from a femoral artery by the Seldinger method or the sheathing method to selectively assure introduction into a coronary artery, and then a treatment catheter such as a balloon catheter for PTCA is introduced into the inner face of the guiding catheter.
In the imaging or treatment processes for such conventional catheters, since the introduction site is a femoral region, in order to stanch a penetration site after the operation, complete bed rest may be required. Accordingly, urination, defecation, and eating and drinking may be required to be carried out in a supine position, and there is a problem in that discomfort, for example discomfort associated with lumbago, may be given to the patient. Further, where a catheter is introduced from a femoral region, there is the possibility that, even if the patient is in complete bed rest, bleeding may occur, and there is a problem that such bleeding may reach the retroperitoneum and cause further complications. Also urination is often difficult when a patient is in a supine position. In this instance, a problem may arise if a urethral catheter is being because there may be an increased possibility of acquiring a urinary tract infection.
As a method for eliminating or preventing the problems described above, introduction from an artery of an arm, particularly from a brachial artery or a radial artery, is considered effective. In particular, even when keeping a state in which a brachial penetrated site is stretched, the patient can walk immediately after the operation, and urination, defecation, and eating and drinking can be carried out in an ordinary manner without lumbago and so forth. Further, the possibility of bleeding from the retroperitoneum and/or contracting a urinary tract infection can be prevented. Taking such a situation as just described into consideration, a catheter for a coronary artery of a shape suitable for introduction from an arm is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Hei 8-10247 (Patent Document 1) and Hei 8-215313 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent Nos. 3,078,261 (Patent Document 3) and 3,563,540 (Patent Document 4).